Yorkshire Dales in 3 days
- Irene
- Jul 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 31
This is the perfect long weekend escape to do in the UK either during a bank holiday or taking one day off.
Yorkshire Dales 2-Day Itinerary:
Day 1: Fountains Abbey, Brimham Rocks & Harrogate
Fountains Abbey
Brimham Rocks
Aysgarth Falls (Optional)
Day 2: Ingleton, Skipton & Scenic Stops
Ingleton Waterfalls Circular Trail
Malham Cove (Optional)
The Courtyard Dairy (Stop)
Skipton
Where to stay? I would definitely stay in Harrogate, it’s absolutely beautiful and has many options of bars and restaurants to go for dinner or a drink. We stayed at “Verdant Apartment” and I would definitely recommend it. It was abeautifully decorated apartment in the perfect location. Another option if you prefer a hotel would be “The West Park Hotel”.
To get there you can train to Harrogate direct from London as well as many other cities, andonce you are there you will need to rent a car(Leeds/Bradford airport provides a good flexible option for this). Alternatively, you candrive directly. If you are coming from London,the first option will be faster overall.
When to go? Ideally avoid the winter but I think at anytime of year this can be a good plan! We went at the end of May and it was a bit cloudy and windy but it was still a great bank holiday escape and less crowded than other famous UK spots that we have visited.
Day 1: Fountains Abbey and Brimhan rocks
Start the day driving to Fountains Abbey which is only 25 minutes away. Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercianmonasteries in England. It was founded in 1132 and the abbey operated for 407 years, becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution, by order of Henry VIII, in 1539. The site includes much more than the abbey and you can literally spend hours here. If you want to have a good walk around the gardens, the abbey, the house and the lakes I would dedicate around 3 to 4 hours to see everything properly. I have to say this place is absolutely stunning and so worth visiting even if the entrance price can seem a bit high (£21 per adult). Opening times are 10.00 to 16.30.
After Fountains Abbey, you can go to Brimham Rocks which is just 15 minutes drive away. Brimham Rocks is a collection of dramatic, eroded rock formations sculpted by water, ice, and wind over centuries. You can do a circular walk around this area that will take you around 1 hour. Driving back to Harrogate will take you 20 minutes.
On this day, we also went to see Aysgarth falls, but I think this can be skipped unless you have more than 3 days in Yorkshire Dales. This stop is quite far from the other points to visit and unfortunately we went there aftersome very dry months in the UK so there was barely any water in the waterfalls.
Once you are back to Harrogate, I would recommend going for a drink at “The Little Ale House” and for dinner to “Illam”, a delicious South Indian restaurant specialised in fish curries.
Day 2: Ingleton and Skipton
On your second day, start by driving to Ingleton, which is 1.15hr from Harrogate. Here aside from seeing the cute town, you will want to do the Ingleton waterfalls circular trail that takes 2.30hr to complete. It is important to note that to do this walk you have to pay £11 per adult. I would suggest that you park by the community centre as you will be closer to the finish of the walk. When I found out that we had to pay for walking I thought that this was a bit outrageous if I am honest… however, I have to say that this is probably one of if not the most beautiful walks that we have done in the UK. On this walk you will see severalwaterfalls and walk through woods and fields. There are a couple of cafes on the trail which is quite handy as well. The walk opens at 9.00 and should be finished before dark.
Once you finish here you can do another walk which is at Malham Cove, however we were pretty tired after the waterfall walk and decided to skip this and head directly to Skipton. However, on the way to Skipton we found an amazing place called “The Courtyard Dairy”, this courtyard was absolutely amazing! They had a wine shop, a cheese shop and a bakery and was absolutely lovely so I would definitely recommend stopping here.
Skipton is 45 min drive from Ingleton, and here you can go for lunch to “the Curious Fox” and after, visit the castle. Skipton Castle was originally a motte-and-bailey castle built by Robert de Romille in 1090. The castle was later expanded and fortified by the Clifford family, who owned it for over 400 years. It played a role in the War of the Roses and the English Civil War, enduring sieges and eventually becoming a Royalist stronghold before being slighted by Parliament. Lady Anne Clifford later restored the castle, and it has remained in the Clifford family until the 19th century. To visit the castle will take around 45 min. The ticket entrance for adults is £12 and it is open from 10.00 to 17.00. It will take you 35 min to get back to Harrogate.
For dinner you can go to “Phranakhon Thai”. Another good place to have a drink before or after dinner is “North Bar”.
Day 3: Harrogate
On your last day you can have a walk around Harrogate in the morning and maybe visit the Turkish Baths. The Harrogate Turkish Baths opened in 1897 as part of Harrogate's vision to become a leading spa town. The baths were designed by Baggallay and Bristowe and featured Islamic art-inspired arches, glazed brickwork, and terrazzo floors. They offered a range of treatments including medicinal water dispensaries, hydrotherapy, mud baths, and steam rooms. The Royal Baths closed in 1969 after losing a National Health Service contract. Today, the Turkish Baths remain operational within the Royal Baths building. You can also go for a brunch to “Farmhouse” but make sure you have booked in advance.
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